Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi recently discussed why the band’s legacy is complete following its final performance, sharing his thoughts in an interview with Rolling Stone.
When asked if he was satisfied with Black Sabbath’s legacy being done, Iommi expressed his contentment with how the band concluded its journey.
“Yeah. The legacy’s been fantastic, really,” Iommi said. “I think it was a good thing to finish off when we did the Back to the Beginning one, because all the bands who were fans of Sabbath came onto that show, which was just brilliant.”
He also reflected on the camaraderie among the bands that joined them for the final event.
“And it was so nice of them to all put themselves out to come and play on the same show and no egos or anything,” Iommi continued. “Everybody just got on with it and played. It was great for a final thing with Sabbath to take it together as the original band and finish it off as it should.”
When asked how doing that last performance felt for him, Iommi described the unique experience of performing under those circumstances.
“On the night, it felt very strange for me because obviously we’d never been onstage with Ozzy in a throne before, sitting down,” Iommi explained. “He was always jumping around, pulling faces, and making me and Geezer laugh. But on this occasion, I couldn’t see him because he’s in that throne at the front.”
He also noted how he adjusted his position onstage to support drummer Bill Ward during the show.
“Obviously, we hadn’t played with Bill for 20 years, so Bill wanted me to stand back by him just because he was unsure of some bits,” Iommi added. “And so I did.”
The circumstances surrounding the concert made it more than just a farewell performance. The event reunited Black Sabbath’s original lineup and brought together several generations of artists influenced by the band.
The one-off benefit concert took place at Villa Park in Birmingham on July 5, 2025, close to the city where Black Sabbath formed in 1968. The lineup also included Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Rival Sons.
The sold-out show drew approximately 45,000 fans and raised around £140 million for charity. The event lasted roughly 10 hours and celebrated Black Sabbath’s influence before the band delivered its final set.
The concert gained further significance after Ozzy Osbourne died on July 22, 2025, just 17 days after the performance. Osbourne was 76. A death certificate later reported by The New York Times listed a heart attack as the cause of death, alongside coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease.
The farewell show also marked the return of Bill Ward, Black Sabbath’s original drummer. Ward played on the band’s early classic albums before leaving the group in the 1980s. His appearance at Villa Park reunited the original lineup for one final performance after a lengthy absence.
Ward’s return gave the concert additional meaning for longtime fans. It also reinforced Iommi’s view that Black Sabbath ended on its own terms, with the musicians who shaped the band’s legacy together on one stage.
